Crafty Gifting: Gift Wrapping Alternatives Found in the Kitchen

It's gift giving time again! When you've put a lot of time and effort into choosing just the right item, and it's time to truss it up and present it to the intended recipient, you don't want to just stick it in a generic gift bag or some ordinary box with a generic bow from a bag. However, there are those times when we just don't have the time to make up pretty packages, or worse, we get home and realize the gift item doesn't fit in a standard box or, there's not enough left of that pretty large-roll paper, or we forgot the tape, or the ribbon or...

So, what's a savvy gift giver to do? Improvise with items on hand from the kitchen, of course! With so many "things" in our lives, there is often an excess of "stuff" around waiting to be used as it is, including reusable items from coffee mugs and egg baskets to tea towels and dinner napkins.

Originally published on Helium in April of 2011.

Gift Wrapping Alternatives from Kitchen Supplies

Whether you are in a pinch for something with which to wrap a gift, looking to be more eco-friendly, or just want to present your gift packages in a unique and creative way, there a number of items in the kitchen that make great gift wrapping alternatives. From cloth options to interesting containers, the kitchen offers a multitude of options beyond the usual printed paper gift wrap.

Paper options

Waxed paper, freezer paper, lunch sacks and paper grocery bags are all good kitchen alternatives for wrapping gifts. With the exception of the waxed paper, each can be custom decorated to make a unique one of a kind gift wrap. Use markers with a ruler to create straight lines or even plaid designs; trace stencils to create pictures or repeating wallpaper style patterns on the papers or bags. Alternatively, you can also use rubber stamps to create a pattern, or get super creative and make your own stamps from carrots or potatoes.

In addition to being used to create custom gift wrap, paper options from the kitchen are also great options for making cards and envelopes, gift tags, flowers, origami and other decorations to use for embellishing presents. Strips of paper can also be cut and used as ribbon in place of cloth ribbon.

Cloth options

Dish towels, tea towels, and cloth napkins are gift wrapping alternatives from the kitchen that are also reusable. Kitchen linens can be wrapped around a gift and bound with kitchen twine for an attractive, eco-friendly presentation that serves a dual purpose since the gift recipient will be able to use the wrapping as well as the gift.

Plastic options

Colored plastic wrap, food storage bags with or without printed decorations, and white kitchen trash bags can also be used as gift wrap. These are especially attractive alternatives when combined with the paper or cloth options for gift wrap from the kitchen.

Containers, baskets and tins

Almost everyone has an abundance of spare storage containers, empty tins, or even baskets on hand that can be used as a gift wrapping alternatives. These are especially useful for wrapping food gift items. The best part about using one of these items to gift wrap something is that they are reusable. They can be used on their own or in combination of one of the other alternative kitchen options listed above to dress things up a bit.

Gift wrapping alternatives from the kitchen are both practical and economic. Reusable items are not only eco-friendly, they make attractive presentations the gift recipients will appreciate as much as the received gift itself.

Alternatives to Traditional Christmas Trees

Yes, they are lovely to look at, but they are also costly (more and more so each year), and quite often they make a rather untidy mess on the floor. Unless you have kids at home and/or you find you just can't live without that fresh pine smell this time of the year, you may be wavering on whether or not to keep buying a Christmas tree year after year.

Yes, there are living trees for purchase and later planting, and yes, depending on where you live you can rent one, but wouldn't it be so much more interesting to do something different, something eco-friendly, and maybe even artistic? (Not to mention economical!) Read on!

This was one of my favorite contributions to the  Helium Celebrations channel. I really wish I  had a photo to go with this post! Originally published in November of 2010.

How to use a Wooden Ladder as a Christmas Tree

The idea of using a wooden ladder as a Christmas tree may seem odd to some, but to those who are imaginative or creative minded, it’s not only eco-friendly, it’s downright brilliant! No pruning, no pine needles to sweep up, no worry of water evaporation creating a fire hazard from a dry tree, and best of all, no extra expense – that is, as long as you already own the ladder.

A wooden ladder as a Christmas tree presents so many possibilities. The ladder could be draped and decorated like a tree or left bare and strung with multi-colored Christmas lights. Gifts could be strategically placed on the ladder’s “steps” while the other side of the ladder could be used for hanging everything from cards to stockings to ornaments.

The ladder could be painted green or left its natural wood color, which would probably be best since the ladder would mostly likely go back to its normal function once the Christmas holiday season is over. One way to add green though would be to drape a green fabric such as felt or even satin down the front of the ladder the way one would carpet a stairwell.

Decorative objects or even potted plants such as poinsettias, miniature pines or rosemary could then be arranged on the ladder’s steps to create a stunning display. After Christmas the plants could then be repotted or donated. Alternatively, collectibles could be arranged on the ladder’s steps to create an ascending display of figurines, snow globes, music boxes, gingerbread houses, candy dishes, vintage toys and any other sentimental object significant to you and your family.

Decorating the ladder without any kind of fabric draping should begin with the lights just like a real Christmas tree. This way you can carefully arrange the strands by weaving them in and out of or around the rungs/steps. Use clear lights for a conservative look and colored likes if going for a classic or theme look. Colored lights and a few strategically placed ornaments can more than serve as a substitute Christmas tree.

Many people like to decorate their Christmas trees in specific color schemes that change each year and the same approach can be taken when using a folding wooden ladder as a tree. There’s no hand and fast rule that says your Christmas tree has to be an actual tree. Just be careful climbing the ladder while decorating and follow the same safety rules you would when using the ladder to do projects around your home.